Daily GK Updates & Daily News in India with free current affairs. You will get free Current affairs on Daily Basis and GK questions which will help you in Banking and SSC Exams. Daily News in India. Check this Current affair page on daily basis for the improvement of General awareness section. Free GK Quiz on Daily Basis.

i. PM Narendra Modi
inaugurated 2-day International Conference on Consumer Protection for east,
south and Southeast Asian countries in New Delhi. This conference is being
hosted by the Department of Consumer Affairs under Union Ministry of Consumer
Affairs, Food and Public Distribution and the United Nations Conference on
Trade and Development.

ii. Theme of this
conference is ‘Empowering Consumers in New Markets’. Representatives from 22
countries from East, South and South-East Asia participated in this conference.

iv. During the course of
this conference, six working sessions will be held on subjects of United
Nations Guidelines for Consumer Protection and Implementation, protection of
online consumers, stakeholder participation in consumer protection, consumer
empowerment through education, fostering consumer inclusion in financial
services and protection of vulnerable groups of consumers.

ii. The venture fund will disburse Rs 320 cr over a 3-year period
to support novel ideas which would cause positive disruption in the energy
sector. At the launch function, 36 startups signed memorandum of understanding
to partner with various state-run firms like Indian Oil, Hindustan Petroleum
and GAIL India.

iii. These start-ups will be working on various innovative
projects which include developing multiuse fuel from agri-waste, remotely
operated vehicles for underwater inspections, converting waste plastic to high
value fuels, electronic leak detector for LPG and solar cookers.

i. Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated a global conference on
consumer protection in New Delhi. This is the first time that an international
conference on consumer protection is being organized by India for countries of
the region.

ii. 22 countries from East, South and South-East Asia are
participating in the international conference. These include China, Singapore,
South Korea, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka.

i. The Union
Ministries of Power and Textiles have jointly launched an initiative
Sustainable and Accelerated Adoption of efficient Textile technologies to Help
small Industries (SAATHI).

ii. Under
this initiative, Energy Efficiency Services Limited, a public sector entity
under the Union Ministry of Power, will acquire energy efficient Powerlooms,
motors and Rapier kits in bulk and provide them to the small and medium
powerloom units.

i. The Reserve Bank of India has constituted a 10-member ‘High
Level Task Force on Public Credit Registry for India’, which will suggest a
roadmap for developing a transparent, comprehensive and near-real-time PCR for
India.

ii. The committee will be Headed by YM Deosthalee, ex-CMD, L&T
Finance Holdings. The terms of reference of the task force include reviewing
the current availability of information on credit in India and assessing the
gaps in India.

i. In her first foreign visit as Defence Minister, Ms. Nirmala
Sitharaman left for the Philippines to attend the Southeast Asian Defence
Ministers’ Meeting.

ii. The 2-day ASEAN Defence Ministers’ Meeting-Plus meeting will
discuss ways to enhance defense and security cooperation among the member nations.
During her 3-day stay, Ms. Sitharaman is also likely to hold bilateral talks
with her counterparts from a number of countries.

i. Prime Minister Narendra
Modi was on a visit to Vadodara, Gujarat. During the course of this visit, he
launched following development initiatives: PM dedicated to the nation, the
Vadodara City Command Control Centre; New Head Office Building of the Bank of
Baroda and Waghodiya Regional Water Supply Scheme.

ii. He laid the foundation stones of an integrated transport hub,
regional water supply schemes, housing projects, and a flyover.

iii. He also laid foundation stone for the capacity expansion of
the Mundra-Delhi petroleum product pipeline, and a greenfield marketing terminal
project of Hindustan Petroleum Corporation Limited, at Vadodara.

iv. Beneficiaries under the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana (Urban, as
well as Rural) were handed over the keys to the houses by Prime Minister
Narendra Modi.

i. Goods and Services Tax Network has launched an
Excel-based offline tool for businesses to file initial GSTR- 3B returns. GSTN,
in a statement in New Delhi, stated that taxpayers can download the offline
utility from the GSTN portal and after fill, in the data, the file can be
uploaded on GST portal.

ii. After uploading of the return to the GST Portal, the
taxpayer has to preview the form, complete formalities like submit, offset the
liability and file their GSTR-3B Return using the digital signature or electronic
verification code.

i.
Arunachal Pradesh State Assembly passed
Arunachal Pradesh (Re-Orgaisation of Districts) Amendment Bill 2017 to create a
new district named ‘Kamle’. The bill was introduced on October 14, 2017 by
Arunachal Pradesh Chief Minister Prema Khandu.

ii.
Kamle is the 23rd district of Arunachal Pradesh. It has been created by
bifurcating the present Upper and Lower Subansiri districts.

iii.
It has six administrative units (three each from Upper Subansiri and Lower
Subansiri).

iv.
Amid rising concerns that this decision would encourage creation of more
districts in future and will thereby affect state’s exchequer, Chief Minister
Prema Khandu stated that government is planning to re-visit the district
creation policy of 1983.

1.CHHATTISGARH GOVERNMENT REDUCES INTEREST ON LOAN UNDER SAKSHAM
YOJNA

i.
Chhattisgarh State Government has reduced the rate of interest on loan given to
women and their self help groups under ‘Saksham Yojna’ from 6.5% to 5%.

ii.
This decision was taken by Chhattisgarh Women and Child Development Minister
Ramsheela Sahu while chairing a meeting of ‘Chhattisgarh Mahila Kosh’.

iii.
Through various schemes, ‘Chhattisgarh Mahila Kosh’ disburses easy term loans
to women and SHGs in Chhattisgarh. Saksham Yojana too is operated by
Chhattisgarh Mahila Kosh, under which loans to the tune of Rs 72 lakh had been
distributed to about 111 SHGs during current fiscal year 2017-18.

i. PM Narendra Modi inaugurated the All India Institute of Ayurveda in
Delhi on the occasion of ‘National Ayurveda Day’. AIIA has been set up as an
apex institute under the Ministry of AYUSH and
has been modelled along the lines of All India Institute of Medical
Sciences.

ii. AIIA has been set up on 10.015 acres of land at a cost of Rs. 157
cr. The institute will serve as a platform to establish synergy between
traditional wisdom of Ayurveda and modern diagnostic tools and technology.

iii. AIIA holds the National Accreditation Board for Hospitals and
Healthcare Providers accreditation.

i.
National Investment and Infrastructure Fund of India signed an investment
agreement worth $1 billion with Abu Dhabi Investment Authority.

ii.
As a part of this pact, ADIA has become the first institutional investor in
NIIF’s Master Fund and a shareholder in NIIF’s investment management company
named National Investment and Infrastructure Limited. NIIF is a fund created by
the Government of India for enhancing infrastructure financing in the country.

iii.
The fund has been created to attract investments (in commercially viable
infrastructure development projects) from both domestic and international
sources. Corpus of the NIIF is proposed to be $6 billion, in which Government
of India will invest 49 per cent.

iv.
The remaining $3 billion will be procured from long-term international
investors, such as a sovereign wealth funds, insurance and pension funds, and
endowment funds.

i.
A Parliamentary Standing Committee on Defence, headed by BJP MP B C Khanduri
will examine the operational preparedness of the armed forces. Next meeting of
this committee is scheduled to be held in November 2017.

ii.
Procurement policy relating to defence equipment. Critically review accidents
involving strategic defence assets. It is to be noted that recently several
accidents have been reported involving Indian Navy ships and Indian Air Force
helicopters.

iii.
To look into the quality of ration given to the forces especially in border
areas. Major research and development initiatives, including private sector
participation will also be assessed.

iv.
The committee will also discuss measures to revamp training for defence
personnel in the light of latest technological advancements.

i.
Mitra Shakti 2017, a joint exercise between India and Sri Lanka for military
co-operation and interoperability, is conducted at the Aundh Military Camp, in
Pune. The Mitra Shakthi training exercises started in India’s response to
China’s growing influence in South Asia and the Indian Ocean region.

ii.
Its aim is to exchange the best military practices of the two countries and
build a strong military-to-military relation between the two armies and develop
joint strategies mainly in the counter-insurgency and counter terrorism
environment.

iii.
The training module includes weapons training, basic military tactics and
complex battle strategies. The Mitra
Shakti series started in 2012. Senior military observers of both countries will
attend the Final Tactical Exercise to be held at the Aundh Military Station, on
25th October 2017.

i.
Communications Minister Manoj Sinha launched the Sampoorna Bima Gram Yojana and
an initiative for expansion of clientele base of Postal Life Insurance.

ii.
Under Sampoorna Bima Gram Yojana, at least one village (with min. 100
households) will be identified in each of the revenue districts of the country.
Coverage of all households is the primary objective of this scheme.

iii.
Under the scheme for expansion of PLI, benefits of Postal Life Insurance will
no more be confined to government and semi-government employees, but will also
be available to professionals such as doctors, engineers, management
consultants, charted accountants, architects, lawyers, bankers etc.

ii.
It is the 4 Day long fair at state-of-the-art India Expo Centre, Greater Noida.
This initiative will give opportunities to overseas buyers to bring technical
know-how investment and marketing network to form joint ventures for promoting
Indian Handicrafts in the world market.

i. In a bid
to provide a boost to ‘Skill India Mission’, Union Cabinet approved two new
skill development schemes named Skills Acquisition and Knowledge Awareness for
Livelihood Promotion and Skill Strengthening for Industrial Value Enhancement.
Both these schemes are result oriented programmes focusing on vocational education
and training.

ii. SANKALP
is a centrally sponsored scheme having financial outlay Rs 4,455 cr out of
which 3300 cr will be in the form of a loan from World Bank.

iii. STRIVE
is a central sector scheme having financial outlay Rs 2200 cr out of which half
the amount will be in the form of loan assistance from World Bank.

i.
Union Law Ministry has finalised the
appointment of a panel (Second National Judicial Pay Commission) to recommend
new salary structure for judges of lower courts in India.

ii.
Former Supreme Court judge PV Reddi will be the head of this proposed
commission which will submit its recommendations in early 2019. It is to be noted that judges of the lower
court got the last pay hike in 2010 on basis of Supreme Court-appointed
one-member committee under Justice E Padhmanabhan, a retired high court judge,
report in July 2009 recommending the three-fold hike.

iii.
Currently a senior judge draws a salary of nearly Rs 80,000 while entry level
salary for a junior civil judge is Rs 45000.

i.
Kazuo Ishiguro, “who, in novels of great emotional force, has uncovered the abyss
beneath our illusory sense of connection with the world”, has been awarded the
2017 Nobel Prize in Literature, the Swedish Academy announced.

ii.
Mr. Ishiguro was born in Japan and his family moved to the United Kingdom when
he was five. His most renowned novel, The Remains of the Day (1989), was turned
into film with Anthony Hopkins as the butler Stevens.

i.
The 8th conference of the Association of SAARC Speakers and Parliamentarians is
held at Hotel Hilton, in Colombo, Sri Lanka.

ii.
The 8th Conference, organized by the Parliament of Sri Lanka, has brought
together Speakers and Parliamentarians from the member countries of the SAARC. The
conference was inaugurated by Sri Lankan President Maithripala Sirisena.

iv.
Theme of this conference is ‘Association of the SAARC Speakers and
Parliamentarians’: a platform for the Parliamentarians of South Asia to work
together to reach the 2030 agenda for Sustainable Development.

i.
PM Narendra Modi laid the foundation stone of All India Institutes of Medical
Sciences at Bilaspur and International Institute of Information Technology at
Una in Himachal Pradesh.

ii.
AIIMS at Bilaspur will be a 750-bed hospital and will be built at a cost of
about Rs 1350 cr.

iii.
Besides healthcare services, it will also provide medical education at the
under-graduate and post-graduate level.

iv.
During his visit to Himachal Pradesh, PM Modi also inaugurated a Steel
Processing Unit of Steel Authority of India Limited, at Kandrori in Kangra
district of Himachal Pradesh.

2.IMPORTANT CABINET APPROVALS- OCTOBER 4, 2017

i.
The Union Cabinet chaired by PM Shri Narendra Modi has given the following set
of approvals. The full list of Cabinet Approvals is given as follows.

ii.
The Cabinet has approved: The Extradition Treaty between India and Lithuania-
The Treaty would provide a legal framework for seeking extradition of
terrorists, economic offenders and other criminals from and to Lithuania,

iii.
The MoU between India and Switzerland on Technical Cooperation in Rail Sector, MoU
on Upgradation of the Women’s Police Training Centre at Yamethin, Myanmar,

3.VICE PRESIDENT LAYS FOUNDATION STONE FOR INLAND WATERWAY IN AP

i.
Vice President M Venkaiah Naidu laid the
foundation stone for the development of an inland waterway in the Krishna River
between Muktyala and Vijayawada in the Andhra Pradesh. Besides, he dedicated
seven national highway projects in Andhra Pradesh to the nation and also laid
the foundation stone for six new projects.

ii.
82-km inland waterway between Muktyala and Vijayawada is the Phase-1 of the
National Waterway-4 under the Sagar Mala Project. It will not only be used for
transportation of cement and construction material for the new capital city
Amaravati but will also provide connectivity to important tourist and
pilgrimage spots by the river.

iii.
In Phase-2, canal navigation will be developed between Vijayawada and Kakinada.
Both the phases will have a combined length of 315 km and will be built at a
cost of Rs. 7,015 cr.

ii.
First phase of the construction will be carried out at an expenditure of Rs.
5.5 cr. As per the guidelines of National Council for Vocational Training, the
ITI will have sixty seats for three different trades with 20 seats per trade.

iii.
The three different trades included in the curriculum are Computer Operator and
Programming Assistant, Cutting and Sewing Technology and Hair & Skin Care.

iv.
The institute will also have separate hostel facilities for girls and boys.

5.MINISTRY OF HEALTH AWARDED AS THE BEST DEPARTMENT IN ‘SWACHHTA
PAKHWADA’

i.
The Ministry of Health and Family Welfare was awarded as the best department
for its contribution during ‘Swachhta Pakhwada’, in New Delhi on the 3rd
anniversary of Swachh Bharat Mission..

ii.
C.K.Mishra, Secretary, Ministry of Health & Family Welfare, received the
award. Swachhta Pakhwada is an inter-Ministry initiative of Swachh Bharat
Mission of Ministry of Drinking Water and Sanitation.

iv.
It was observed by the Health Ministry from 1st February to 15th
February, 2017. Activities including cleaning of corridors of Nirman Bhawan and
various rooms and areas of the Ministry were done.

6.GRAVITATIONAL WAVE SCIENTISTS WIN 2017 NOBEL PHYSICS PRIZE

i.
US scientists Rainer Weiss, Barry Barish and Kip Thorne won the 2017 Nobel
Prize in the field of Physics for their pioneering role in the detection of
gravitational waves at Stockholm, Sweden.

ii.
The Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences has announced the winners of the 9
million Swedish crone ($1.1 million) award.

iii.
Jeffrey Hall, Michael Rosbash and Michael Young of America were awarded the
Nobel Prize for Physiology or Medicine.

7.GOVERNMENT FORMS COMMITTEE FOR 5G ROLLOUT BY 2020

i.
The government formed a committee to achieve the target of rolling out 5G
technology in India by 2020.

ii.
The ‘5G 2020’ committee consists of secretaries of the ministries of
Communications, Information Technology and Science and Technology,
representatives from industry and academics.

iii.
This committee would analyse and approve plans for 5G rollout in India by 2020.
This is aimed to have Indian participation in defining global standards for 5G technologies.

iv.
This committee will also strengthen domestic telecommunication equipment
manufacturing. So that, local manufacturers could capture 50% of Indian market
and 10% of global market in the next 5 to 7 years.

v.
The Central Government has allocated funds of Rs.500 cr for research and
development of 5G. Under 5G technology, the government aims to deliver 10 Gbps
in urban areas and 1 Gbps in rural areas.

8.BRENDA HALE APPOINTED AS UK SUPREME COURT’S FIRST FEMALE
PRESIDENT

i.
Brenda Hale has been appointed as the first female president of the UK Supreme
Court. Hale was born in Yorkshire who has been a consistent champion of
judicial diversity.

ii.
She was born in Yorkshire in 1945, she went to Girton College, Cambridge, where
she read law and graduated In 1989. She was appointed as Queen’s counsel and in
1994 she became a high court judge.

ii.
Jill Black becomes the second female justice in the UK’s highest court. Two
other appeal judges, David Lloyd Jones and Michael Briggs, were also appointed
to the Supreme Court on the same day.

i.
President Ram Nath Kovind appointed a five member Commission under Delhi High
Court’s former Chief Justice G Rohini to examine sub categorization of Other
Backward Classes.

ii.
The head of the Commission is Delhi High Court’s former Chief Justice G Rohini.
It consists of 5 members. The Commission would examine sub categorization of
Other Backward Classes under Article 340 of the Constitution.

iii.
This has been done to make sure that the more backward among the OBC
communities avail the benefits of reservation. This decision has been taken on
the birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi. The commission will examine the extent
of inequitable distribution of benefits of reservation among the communities
included in the broad category of OBCs.

10.TEAM EUROPE WINS LAVER CUP 2017

i.
Team Europe defeated Team World by 15-9 and won the first Laver Cup 2017, in
Prague, Czech Republic.